Friday, 29 July 2016

So Michaela May is an aspiring
Pop Princess in the Taylor Swift mode – fun, sexy and sassy but with a steely
edge and at least one eye always on the prize. It’s no surprise, then, that ‘Lights
Out’ is a slick, catchy and mainstream friendly slice of sing-a-long pop that
will work equally well in nightclubs and open top cars on girl’s nights out. Think
bouncy synth melodies, 80s pop guitar notes and vocals that switch from
breathless to powerful with the blink of a heavily made up eye. May has all the
ingredients for success in the pop world all she needs is that hit that catches
the ear and this might just be that hit. Not bad for a girl from the small town
of Aberdeen in central Saskatchewan, eh?

Bristol pair Me, You & Thomas
are back with the first of a few new songs and ‘Winning Again’ is one of those
raw, delicate acoustic songs that makes me want to gather some old friends
around have a good old jam. There’s nothing particularly complex or
revolutionary about the acoustic strum and vocal melody but it’s the kind of
song writing that has long since been the staple of English indie. The
harmonies between Rhianna and Joe are sublime (Thomas makes no appearance as
far as I can tell) and the middle eight where the guitar almost drops away
completely is as intimate as it is powerful. ‘Winning Again’ works as an
acoustic amble but could just as easily work with a scuzzily melodic band
powering it along as well. No frills, maybe, but there are still chills and
thrills to be had here.

Having only recently been
switched on to the marvellous Rooney it was somewhat fortuitous that a brand
new album just found its way to me. ‘Washed Away’ is the fourth long player
from the band that is essentially a vehicle for the song writing talents of one
Robert Schwartzman. Opening with ‘All The Beautiful People’, Schwartzman plays
a strong first card with a bouncy, edgy, alt-pop sound thoroughly suited to the
American market and destined to be played in the background of a montage on one
of those shows where everyone is gorgeous and even the drunks are glamorous (I don’t
know what those shows are called because, well, I’m always writing about
music). Recent and gorgeous single ‘My Heart Beats 4 U’ is just as wonderfully
catchy and chant-able as ever it was with dirty guitars counteracting the
saccharine melodies that puts this in Weezer or Fountains of Wayne territory. The
strong start is completed by the swaggering ‘Don’t Be A Hero’ which uses a
honky-tonk piano and some 80s grooves to great effect in making a song that
sounds like Katie Perry doing a weird version of the Beach Boys classic ‘Kokomo’
produced by Brandon Flowers.

As this album settles in to its
stride and grows in confidence, ‘Why’ touches down like Squeeze making a
comeback via some Strokes inspired material while title track ‘Washed Away’
impresses with its hypnotic, indie-meets-industrial riff and slacker-cool
chorus. ‘Time Alone’ is a track made for a happy ending (not that kind, I meant
like in a film - you filthy boot-licker) with a sing-a-long chorus melody and
plenty of references to the end of an era in the lyrics. That Strokes influence
is there again in ‘Do You Have To Go?’ but with more of a punky edge coming out
in the stop-start verse guitar riff. There’s no doubt that Schwartzman can put
a tune together but it’s the combination of indie nous and pop melodies that
makes this such an appealing collection of songs, each one a carefully mixed
cocktail of sunshine, regret and lust with a twist of melancholy all served in
a glass made from pure optimism (question; would a glass made from pure
optimism always be half full? Discuss).

Rooney - aka Robert Schwartzman

Track 8 sees Rooney take on the
stylings of Teenage Fanclub and the Mersey Beat bands with ‘Come On Baby’
before getting all 90s West Coast indie on us with ‘Love Me Like There’s No
Tomorrow’ – albeit 90s West Coast indie with some serious guitar wailing going
on. The underlying spirit of lament in these songs comes bubbling up on ‘I Miss
You When You’re Gone’ as the spirit of John Lennon at his most mopey rises to
the surface. In to the last two tracks and, sadly, there’s an element of the
album petering out a little as ‘You’re All I Ever Need’ does little to stand
out from the other tracks on the album. ‘Sad But True’ closes things up as a
plodding, piano rich affair which is fine as songs go but isn’t the triumphant
end to the album we might have hoped for (‘Time Alone’ might have been better
placed here). So, all in all a fine album indeed but it would have survived at
10 tracks instead of 12 and I kinda hope that Schwartzman gets some partying in
before album number 5 as some of his melodies deserve some good times to go
with them.

Thursday, 28 July 2016

Sophia Dinai’s press release
openly states that this track is about purging all those negative emotions that
come at the end of a relationship that has headed down a toxic pathway. ‘Bitter’
has a mellow guitar melody that broods and twists like the last drop of whisky
dripping from the bottle at the end of a long session. Danai’s voice has pop
and soul in equal measure and reminds me of the likes of All Saints and
Sugababes in their more sultry prime. MC Brevner adds some edge to this classy
piece of passive aggressive break up pop but I was already sold by the repeated
line of “It’s so bitter going down” sung through clenched teeth and a strong
lip curl. There aren’t many pop songs with this much anger and bile in them
which makes it stick out in the melee of wannabes but I hope for Danai’s sake
that she’s moved on now. Nobody needs that negative energy handing around them
long term.

Regular readers will know how
much I love a good band name and Nottingham Punks Taco Hell have already put
themselves in the driver’s seat for my ‘Band Name of The Year’ Award in
December. The quartet have only been together since January but they’ve already
bagged themselves a deal with Exeter label Circle House Records who are
re-releasing this debut EP. The five track EP opens up with ‘Joe Shocks the
Band’, a furious two minutes of punky, bouncy fun that sets out the band’s
stall and boy do they mean business. ‘High 2.2’ is up next and it’s a
thoroughly British slice of garage-punk lamenting the waste of time spent
studying towards something, anything really, in the hope of a future, of a
direction.

The rawness and energy will
surely appeal to devotees of Steve Lamacq’s playlists and would have certainly
got John Peel excited back in the day. ‘Bendy’ is a slightly mellower affair as
singer Joe Booker wails “Don’t walk out on me, I’ve got something to ask you”
over clashing and jangling guitars. ‘Audrey’ is my favourite track on this
collection with its heavy rhythm section and gang mentality played out through
rough edged vocal harmonies. The EP closes with ‘Breathe Deeply’ which, at six
minutes long, is virtually prog-rock for these guys and has a more considered
approach as the song builds its shoegazey, My Bloody Valentine wall of noise
just to deliver the devastating singular vocal of “All I know is that I don’t
want to go, Breathe deeply with me”. Taco Hell might not be as whimsical as
their

It took me so long to finally see
these talented ladies live but I’ve been in love with their music ever since
that wondrous night. So, I was excited beyond words to hear that the Exeter
trio had a new single coming out and that single is ‘Warrior Daughter’.
Excited? You should be. The furious acoustic guitars and nearly-Spanish hand
clapped rhythms provide the perfect spiky platform upon which to pour the
beautiful three-part harmonies that Meghann, Beth and Emilie produce. What
really excites me about this single is the step up it takes from their previous
material. Sure, the First Aid Kit meets Sound of the Sirens acoustic-folk-pop
stylings are still there for all to see but there’s a harder, steelier edge in
there that is reminiscent of Brother & Bones at their feisty best. Then, as
the song builds to a chaotic crescendo, you can’t help but imagine fans of
artists like Passenger getting switched on to these three, especially if some
savvy DJ did a powerful dance remix of this tune to get it out to a wider
audience. In the meantime, Wildwood Kin are taking their powerful mix of
melodies and rhythms all around the country so there’s no excuse not to catch
them now and, trust me, you won’t regret it.

Tuesday, 26 July 2016

Unusually, Xam Volo has moved
away from his native London to pursue his music in the historically significant
city of Liverpool – a bold move indeed but one that has borne fruit already.
‘Down’ is the new single from the talented artist and it’s something a little
bit special. The woozy, slightly unnerving opening meander of vocal harmonies
catches your attention before Volo’s smooth, soulful tones slide in on a
thoroughly waxed floor in a tuxedo. The jazz-meets-soul vibe is ultra-cool and
throbbing piano, skittish beats and vocal harmonies are of the highest order.
This kind of tune with this level of song writing and this perfect production
quality could easily fit in to the mainstream if the mainstream could open up
its mind a little take a listen around once in a while. In the meantime,
however, Xam Volo can just be our little secret, yeah?

Look at this pair of nut-jobs,
bonkers huh? Well, this is what the kids in Helsinki are wearing these days if
this Finnish duo are anything to go by. Feels are here with their new single, ‘Roadkill’,
and its pretty gorgeous stuff if I’m honest. There’s a harshly raw beat and
some roaming, ambient synths but then it kicks in to full on 80s pop mode for
the chorus. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on their sound it switches
again so one minute it’s Bat for Lashes, then it’s a Whitney Houston backing
track and then it veers off in to Florence + The Machine messing about in the
studio territory. Feels have that undefinable Scandinavian quality that always
brings a touch of class and cool to proceedings but even if you scrape that
away you’re still left with a quality pop song.

Thursday, 21 July 2016

Right, first things first, Cheese
Finger Brown sounds awful as a name. It sounds like the kind of nickname they would
give a kid from high school who gets caught sticking cheese up his ass in the
toilets. Anyway, Cheese Finger Brown is Dutch so maybe there’s a different meaning
over there and at least he’s not called Meatloaf. So, this new single, ‘Low
Down People’, is a gloriously and appropriately low down bluesy ramble with
every string vibration and intake of breath recorded for posterity. This sounds
like the music I used to hear my dad playing when he was in a really good mood,
the kind of music that used to be recorded in booths with a month’s wages and
cut straight to vinyl only to launch the career of a legend. What we have here
is a Dutchman who can make a guitar sing like John Lee Hooker and has the blues
so bad it makes his voice distorted. There’s a full album to follow in
September but in the meantime I’d pour yourself a bourbon and let this wash
over you (sit on a porch if you have one, for added flavour).

Ignis Amare is the nom-de-plume
of 19 year-old Cambridge lad Rafik Daaya who professes to make minimalistic
alternative-electro music which is impressive as all I could make at the age of
19 was a passible Spaghetti Bolognaise and a decent cuppa. In all seriousness,
I’m pleased to get some music from the more tender end of the age spectrum as
the internet’s main positive contribution to the music world has surely been to
open up possibilities to people of all ages, backgrounds and scenes. This four
track EP opens up with ‘Genesis’ and the sound of alien insects emerging from
mechanical undergrowth in to a swamp made of low synth notes and a sense of foreboding.
There’s a feel of early Depeche Mode about this with the aforementioned
minimalism and slightly gothic overtones coming to the fore.

‘Dive In’ starts with more of a
flutter, a panicked heartbeat of a rhythm and some chunky percussive moments
before fluttering notes and basement-dark vocals emerge talking in tongues and
making a mockery of the idea of ‘pop’. This is not music for the easy listening
crew but if you, like me, spent your teenage years drifting off to sleep
listening to extended rare mixes played by John Peel then this will have you
feeling pretty excited. On ‘City of God’ Ignis Amare gets all Aphex Twin on our
asses with an aggressive opening sweep followed by some heavenly tones that
soon blend in to something approaching a club tune – albeit the kind of club
that Noel Fielding would imagine up after a week-long Absinthe bender on his
own in an igloo. Closing up with the peacefully beautiful ‘Revelations’ (there’s
a definite religious them here), Ignis Amare cements his new found reputation
as an uncompromising but worthwhile listen. Like very dark chocolate or fine
wine this is not music for binging on but every now and again it’s good to try
something that challenges and awakens the taste buds.

I’m sure I’ve used this story but
I’m so chuffed for these guys that I’m going to use it again. The first time I
heard these guys play I was setting up to DJ at a friend’s wedding in Halifax
and they were whipping through the tightest set of covers I’ve ever heard. Now,
years later, they’ve just signed to Warner Brothers imprint Sire and all that
hard work and relentless pub gigging around the Northwest of the UK has paid
off. This latest release is, I guess, a celebratory anthem of this new found
success so dive in to ‘Young Love’ with all the carefree abandon of someone who
has just realised their dreams. Starting out like something from Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’
era, this soon slips in to the band’s trademark slick indie-pop with a sugary
tinge. There is a touch of the Magic Numbers or the Beautiful South about these
guys but with way more confidence and hooks aplenty so it’s no surprise they’ve
been snapped up by a major with the potential to make something of their song writing
ability as well as their songs. Expect big things of the Lottery Winners even
if it’s through some sort of ‘Valerie’ style hit like the Zutons had via
Winehouse or, better still, on their own terms.

South London might be where all
of Beaty Heart’s bank statements are sent but the trio are truly citizens of
the world and that comes through in everything they do. Ahead of a new album,
this single – the evocatively titled ‘Raw Gold’ – drops on us like some kind of
beautiful mongrel creature descending from the sky. There are some Asian and
middle eastern flecks to the melodies, some West Coast chill mixed with some
East Coast club cool and a southern hemisphere vibe that is all about that
moment when the sunlight just gives out on you. Think Hot Chip but way more
relaxed about things or Boards of Canada on a night out and you’re heading in
the right direction. The video of Brazilian long-boarder Ana Maria Suzano flows
and weaves perfectly with the music as well which makes this one tasty
multicultural package. Perfect for a summer underlined by division and borders.
Come together and party, good people.

Wednesday, 20 July 2016

Just to get this out of the way,
the press shot for this latest single by Marius ‘Roosevelt’ Lauber doesn’t
exactly scream ‘woohoo party fun time’ but I’ve heard good things so I’m
willing to give it a go. From about half a second in you know this isn’t going
to be a morbid slouch-fest. No, ‘Fever’ has Now That’s What I Call Summer
written all over it with its mix of Calvin Harris, Above & Beyond and Klangkarussell
ready made for crowd pleasing fun. Bouncing synths, punchy beats and laid back
vocals are the perfect mix of ingredients for an Ibiza smash to make the late
afternoon pool parties go with a bounce and a jiggle. And maybe a wink or two.

Rock Island’s favourite daughter
is back with a new album but ahead of that comes ‘Wild West’ and, don’t worry,
it’s got nothing to do with Will Smith. The dreamy, blissed out opening bars
are so suited to that point when the sun has just gone down on a summer’s
evening and that pink sky gives you all the promise that only open spaces can.
The relentless but subtle rhythmic stomp coupled with some expansive melodies
and Lissie’s powerhouse vocals just grab you by the optimism and lift you up to
make you want to spin around on a beach next to a roaring bonfire. Lissie is
one of those artists who will probably never make the heights of mega-stardom
but she’ll be perfectly happy and successful writing epic tunes like this and
performing to adoring crowds at beach festivals and sweaty venues. She’s a star
in my eyes and my ears so if you haven’t discovered Lissie yet then you really
should catch up.

Matthew Lowe and Daniel Trenholme
may sound like a pair of Victorian entrepreneurs who aren’t appreciated in
their life time (trust me, I’ve time travelled…. I had a gap year) but when
they combine as Stables they make sweet, sweet music together (not like that). The
delicately forlorn opening notes of ‘Meet You’ soon get swept away by some up-tempo,
dare I say jaunty, acoustic strumming and the kind of pleasingly gentle yet
gravelly vocals that made Mumford his millions. The US lo-fi film budget market
should be on standby to snap this up for the next Michael Cera film just in
case there’s a montage about a mundane routine (let’s face it, there always is)
but in the meantime there is a lovely little video that focuses heavily on the
legs – an underrated body part in music videos – and made me feel slightly nauseous
from motion sickness by the time it reached its inevitably romantic conclusion.
If legs can be romantic.

Iceland, as a nation, seem to do
things in terms of quality rather than quantity and that certainly applies to
this debut release from the diminutive Soffia Bjorg. The punky garage riff
behind ‘I Lie’ is somewhere between Graham Coxon, the Strokes and the Breeders
which is an infectious place to be as the chorus melody bounces around just the
way the indie disco ordered. Bjorg’s voice has a 70s quality to it as she
switches from almost apologetic verses to defiant, lip curling choruses with
the help of a shouting choir. If Soffia isn’t performing somewhere in a tent at
Glastonbury next year then someone at the BBC isn’t doing their job and Michael
Eavis will be gutted to have missed out. Soffia Bjorg is ready to come in out
of the cold so step aside, losers.

A tight little drum riff and some
slide guitar kicks this tune off and you just know this means business. Isle of
Wight resident BeX has a debut single in the shape of ‘Time To Stop The Rain’
and as statements of intent go, this is pretty impressive. It’s a bit country,
a bit pop, a bit rock and a lot catchy. If you took the melodies of the Corrs,
the defiance of Kelly Clarkson or Pink! and the rock-pop nous of Feeder then
you’d come pretty close to what BeX is offering here and at just under three
minutes long this is a neatly packaged slice of up tempo, post breakup pop that
should be sung by women in clubs the world over once they’ve got rid of that
loser boyfriend who couldn’t hold down a job and always left the toilet seat
up. You’re better than that! You go girl.

I don’t get many submissions from
India (off the top of my head, this is the first) so this latest release from
New Delhi diva Rivita piqued my interest immediately. As a graduate of BIMM you
would expect a certain level of professionalism and ‘Silent Nights’ doesn’t
disappoint on that front with some slick production and plenty of delay on the
acoustic guitar notes. The squelchy synth notes and Rivita’s breathy vocal give
this a slightly 80s feel and that’s not necessarily a bad thing but I’m still
waiting for this song to kick in properly. There’s no big payoff to the low key
verses which is a shame as it feels like this song could be building up to
something but it never quite gets there. Solid enough stuff, then, but solid
isn’t really a word you want to associate with pop music these days, is it? A
few more risks and a bit more experimentation wouldn’t do Rivita’s music any
harm if she wants to take things to the next level.

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

A hot day like today (in the UK
anyway) needs some special music to make the air that little bit more electric
to trigger a thunder storm of sorts. Devon Alt-Blues combo CaveMouth are that
special music and new single ‘Who’s Pulling the Strings?’ is a snarling, shirt
ripping and chest beating beast of a song ready to take to the moors and howl
at a blood moon. The guitars swirl, the drums pound and the saxophone (that’s
right, saxophone) get the funky blues vibe going before the half rapped, half
ranted vocals come popping out with a real sense of anger and frustration. I’m
struggling to think of someone to compare this to you for your ease of access
but the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Mudhoney meets Rage Against The Machine
doing Jazz only covers about 62% of it. Genuinely refreshing and unique music
with a cracking video to go with it.

Monday, 18 July 2016

5 seconds. 5 seconds is all it
took for me to get the hots for this track. Not even long enough to read the accompanying
email. London trio Berries’ new single has one of those guitar hooks that just
grabs you straight away and this first listen of ‘Siren’ has grabbed me in the
same way that ‘Cannonball’ by the Breeders did back in the day. The circular
guitar riff is hypnotic but the rumbling drums and rolling bass line keeps you
from falling completely the spell of these three sirens and their respective
calls. Three part vocal harmonies from the temptresses add an element of
slickness to this otherwise raw and grungy piece of gorgeousness. Some serious
licks in the guitar solo followed by the kind of breakdown that feels like Young
Knives meets Reuben and you can consider my ship well and truly wrecked. Oh and
there’s a bass solo as well as a fade out ending, I could be in love. Keep an
eye out for Berries (aka Holly, Lucie and Lauren) as I suspect they’ll be on
the lips of tipsters the world over before too long. Myself included.

So the idea was this; take some
members of Cypress Hill, Rage Against the Machine and Public Enemy, check they’ve
been paying attention to the last few months of global carnage and press
record. The result of that idea is this eponymous debut single from the
angriest of all the super groups, Prophets of Rage. The siren and rifle drums
that get things going are pure RATM but man it’s good to have them back. Now,
throw in the smooth rap stylings of Chuck B and B-Real and you’ve got a tune.
Those trademark Morello guitars squeal and strain through the verses before
they get seriously chunky in that fist pumping verse and Tim Commerford’s bass
is as snarling and grinding as ever it was. It’s hard not to get lost in the gloriousness
of this tune but you must remember these guys have a message for you – the world,
particularly their American back yard, is seriously fucked up right now and we
all need to get angry about it. Prophets of Rage have their crosshairs aimed at
Trump and everything wrong with the looming post-Obama world, Make America Rage
Again; now that’s a slogan.

Regular readers of LWM will know
just how awesome and important I think Leeds quartet Narcs are at the moment
and this, their second album, comes just at the right time. ‘A Thinking Animal’
is an album full of anger, outrage, despair and beautifully worded straight
talking so grab a copy of the most recent newspaper, read it all and then put
this album on to get you fired up to do something about the state the world is
in right now.

Don’t let the softly spoken
opening to ‘Drains’ fool you, this is just the final murmurings of a man about
to lose his rag with the world as charismatic frontman Wilko spits, screams and
projects-bile atop some of the tightest and most impassioned musicianship you’re
likely to find anywhere on this godforsaken planet. Recent single ‘Pig’ opens
like something straight out of the Rage Against The Machine or Muse back
catalogues with strained guitar notes and a sinister grumble in the background
before exploding in the kind of chorus that, by rights, should see armies of
adoring fans lose their shit in sweaty venues all over the country. The single,
rumbling, monotone bass note that runs through ‘RAUS!’ is possibly the most
threatening thing I’ve heard in music and it perfectly mirrors the underlying
bigotry, xenophobia and hatred currently bubbling just beneath the surface of
an entirely un-United Kingdom. When the chorus screams of “RAUS! RAUS!”
(literally ‘get out’ in German) finally hit your ears it’s almost a relief,
such is the build-up of tension, pressure and general agitation. It’s as masterful
as it is terrifying.

The wondrous ‘Bullingdon Boys’
has been covered on this blog before in all of its lyrical beauty but needless
to say it stands up in the format of an album track just as well as does on its
lonesome – Tories beware if this ever gets play listed on Radio 1 (unlikely but
still, don’t think hiding behind a woman who once went to a comprehensive is
going to save you). ‘Mile Die’ has the kind of angular, rhythmic appeal that
System Of A Down and At The Drive-In excel in but with the weight of RATM or
Deftones in their prime but with a very definite Leeds accent. By the time we
reach the middle point of the album, ‘Head Boy Sonnet’, your ears have just
about adjusted but very little can you prepare you for the distortion infused
onslaught which changes tempo and direction like a Brexit voter changes their
mind.

Narcs - get angry

One of the most endearing things
about Narcs is their enthralling, engaging and, at times, educating lyrics and ‘Empathy
The Dog’ is a great example of this. With the Pixies inspired bass line swagger
grunging the place up and some sparse guitar notes pinging about, Wilko croons
through a razor blade “Every day I pray for civil war, for that moment I can
nail your fucking head to the floor” and “Money is the mother, empathy the dog”.
The beautifully cacophonous crescendo is Reuben-esque and it’s hard not to get
swept up in their grind and swirl so don’t even try to resist, it’s futile. The
tinny, mechanical rhythm that opens up ‘Soak’ is almost cleansing in its
simplicity and this is possibly the album’s calmest moment as something more
akin to the Maccabees or Foals emerges from the intermingling guitars and waltz
rhythm. ‘Swinehound’ returns normal service though with a menacing riff and
pounding drums that are stadium ready in the way that Muse love to full a space
with noise while Wilko screams for millions of us “You don’t speak for me; you
don’t speak for me!”.

As the album nears its terrifying
conclusion, ‘I Told You I Was Ill’ screams in to view with an assured swagger
and yet again an enormous bass sound powering the whole tune before descending
in to the kind of chaotic jam ending that would give Queens Of The Stoneage
nightmares. Closing song, ‘Pilot Light’ has the sinister, sombre air of the
soundtrack to someone’s final minutes in the family home lit by the early dawn
light before going off to perform some action that is required to quieten their
raging soul. However, at seven minutes long this beast isn’t so straightforward
and a cinematic, super-sized tune emerges like Martin Sheen from the mud with
an inevitable, bloody conclusion in its eyes.

There are two things to consider
with this album, with Narcs as a band in fact. Firstly, the musicianship, the
songwriting, the lyricism and the whole craft is first class. They are the real
deal, the whole package and they are genuinely one of my favourite bands of all
time which makes me excited because not many bands make it on to that list
these days. Secondly, Narcs are pissed. Angry. Raging. Whatever you want to
call it, Narcs aren’t happy about the state of the world but more specifically
UK politics and what it’s doing to people. I don’t think they care about what’s
happening to our ‘once great country’ or anything like that, it’s what is
happening to the forgotten masses while the privileged few fight for who gets
to hold the least shitty end of the shitty stick in Westminster. Narcs want you
to stand up and find your voice but if you can’t do that then listen to ‘A
Thinking Animal’ and, at the very least, hear theirs. It’s loud and it speaks a
whole lot of sense.

Sunday, 17 July 2016

South African duo The SoapGirls are
now based in the UK and touring this small island with nothing but a couple of
guitars and some songs. And I when I say nothing I mean nothing almost
literally as these ladies seem to find wearing clothes inhibits their musical performance
but not in a Eurotrash kinda way, I can assure you. New single ‘Bad Bitch’ was
apparently written after an episode of sexually motivated abuse and that
emotionally charged experience gave them the motivation they needed to write
this tune. Musically, this is punk-rock with LA spirit like Buckcherry in
high-heels but with the alt-pop sneer of Shampoo or Joan Jett which makes it
all the more appealing. Sure, this isn’t the most original stuff out there at
the moment but it’s hard to resist some good, honest, dirty rock’n’roll with
some quality vocal harmonies and a heavy dose of genuine anger slathered over
the top. I’m going to stick my neck out and suggest this pair tear it up on the
live stage as well so get out there and catch them at a show if you can.

I know precious little about
Daisy Victoria other than that she’s turning a lot of heads for her musical
ability and is the hot new thing in London town. Before new single ‘Animal
Lover’ has reached half a minute you can see why people are clamouring over her
as that mix of PJ Harvey, Florence Welch, Belly and Pixies weaves together like
some glorious, vivid tapestry. Daisy Victoria wrings the notes out of her
guitar and her vocal chords with passion and purpose but holds tightly on to
the bucking bronco of melody throughout it all. As I said, I know precious little
about Daisy Victoria but I think there’s a chance that the likes of BBC 6Music and
the UK festival scene will grow to love her and that love will propel her to
great things. Really great things.

Toronto popstress Maccie has a
short but impeccable list of influence that reads; Beyonce, Ray Charles, Etta
James and Michael Jackson. Kinda makes you want to listen to her, non? This
debut single, ‘High’, certainly has the soulful groove of her influencers and
just before the minute mark it kicks in with Beyone’s attitude as the brooding
synths and guitars are lifted up by a big beat dropping in. Vocally, Maccie is
more on the pop side of things and there is a sense of fierce, defiant passion
in there but I would like to hear more of her range before making a final
session as it all sounds quite middle to top endy. Nevertheless, a sassy pop
single with a bit of edge and attitude is never a bad thing and this is
certainly no bad thing.

Tuesday, 12 July 2016

If you haven’t experienced the
wonderful Saint Agnes by now, then you really haven’t been paying attention,
have you? I mean seriously, there aren’t many bands I’ve banged on about as
much as these guys. Anyway, here’s another chance as new single/video ‘Sister
Electric’ hits the airwaves for your delectation. Big pounding rhythms, guitars
with more slide than a 70s waterpark and sultry vocals courtesy of fabulous
Kitty are the order of the day and the portions are plentiful. In parts this is
the Dead Weather, Electric Six, Boss Hogg and the soundtrack to a Tim Burton
remake of the Addams Family starring Miley Cyrus as Wednesday and Alice Cooper
as Morticia. Saint Agnes are a real force all wrapped up in scuzz, distortion
and primal, guttural yelps which is, let’s face it, something we all need right
now. You’re welcome.

I love this tune and on the face
of it I probably shouldn’t but it’s the most up front, honest, in your face
tune I’ve heard in this genre for a long time. Stockholm self-confessed l’il
weed hoe (it’s her Facebook handle for the love of God) Angie is the kind of
girl that you would hate to be on a shift with at the 24-hour petrol station
but you’d still want to get it on with her so you’d be nice even if she was a
bitch to you. That energy and attitude comes out brilliantly in ‘Smoke Weed Eat
Pussy’ as Angie sings “I smoke weed eat pussy every day and every day is kinda
the same” through some wonky auto-tune. Skittish beats, ominous synth drones and
some more lyrical gold (“I will never be your baby cos I’m a motherfucking lady”)
make this a lot of fun, throw in some horns and a sense of relentless sexual
passive aggression and you’ve got something pretty unique. Angie just upped the
bar and the pretenders like Rhianna, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus are gonna have
to reassess their output in every area. Or just give up. All hail Angie.

Imagine if Royal Blood were
German, massively in to motorbikes and had sought inspiration from the
Icelandic football fans for their latest musical output. You with me? Right, that’s
essentially The Picturebooks and they’re freaking awesome. New single ‘The
Rabbit and the Wolf’ is as unapologetic as it is glorious as it opens with the
chug of a motorcycle engine followed by tribal tub-thumping and some bluesy slide
guitar. It’s classic modern duo stuff with the guitar and drums duelling whilst
being refereed by some aggressive vocals but this is heavier than the Black
Keys, more intense than Royal Blood and way sexier than the White Stripes.
Throw in the sexiest music video I’ve seen in a while and, well, a freaking
bell crescendo and you’ve got a winner. A massive, hairy, distortion fuelled
winner that will probably have impregnated all the women reading this by now,
and some of the men.

Monday, 11 July 2016

Paul Draper has always been a bit
of a hero of mine ever since I went to see his band of outcasts, Mansun, on
tour as my first gig. I’d won tickets from my local record store when I
purchased a copy of ‘Stripper Vicar’ and that gig turned me on to the world of
indie music and suddenly the 90s opened up for me. Now, Draper is forging a
highly respected career as a solo artist and sought after producer which is
hugely reassuring – too many Britpop musicians ended up as bar managers, radio sidekicks
and marketing executives. ‘No Ideas’, then, is a typically macabre piece of
indie which opens with the gloriously bleakly post-modern lyric of “I did a
google search for what comes up when I type in that I’ve got no ideas”. As the
heart-broken, late night piano rumbles along with all the energy of an old
drunk falling asleep on the keys, the song is suddenly injected with some
energy and a certain indie swagger. Draper is a master of crafting a complex notion
but packaging it up in a neat and accessible indie-pop package with some lovely
Richard Hawley guitars and some good, old fashioned 90s squelchy keys. In years
to come I think Paul Draper will be cited as a much more important contributor
to modern music than he currently gets credit for but then the great artists
are rarely appreciated in their time, are they?

Friday, 8 July 2016

Siblings in bands always bring a
certain special energy and this can work for or against the music so when you
get twin brothers cropping up as we have in Michel you’ve got to open the box
and see what’s going on haven’t you? Inside the box is new single ‘Drive’ and it’s
a satisfying slice of pop that teeters on the line between being mainstream and
being alternative. On the one hand, you have impassioned vocals and the kind of
performance you might expect from X-Factor winners – all breathless and Enrique
Iglesias about things. Then again, on the other hand, you’ve got some really
fresh sounding production with edge beats and synth stabs that push this tune
further than it really has a right to go. I think (or is that feel?) there is
more to come from Michel and this is by no means a bad start but I’d love to
see them step away from the mainstream light and explore that dark side a
little more.